Improvement in grain-drills



J. D. JONES.

Grainfllrm;

Pt'ented Sept 12. 18.65.

UNITED STATES JAMES D. JONES, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-DRILLS.

Specilieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,882, dated September l2, 1865.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JAMES D. JONES, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improveinenls in Grain-Drills; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to thc accompanying drawings, and'to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature ot' my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts-hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art of inaking grain-drills to make and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe itseonstruction and operation.

In the accoml'ianying drawings, Figure l represents a top view ot' my improved graindrill. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a section of the adjustable cut-oft' plate and gage-plates of the hopper. Fig. 4 represents a sectional view of the hopper, agitator, gage-plate, cutoff plate, 85e., on an enlarged scale. p

In the drawings, c represents the frame of the grain-drill. fr and c represent the crosshars ofthe frame. d represents the tongue. b represents the wheels, which are secured permanently to the axle t.

E represents the hopper or seed-box, which is secured to the fratrie cof the grain-drill,and in which is placed a shaft, 5,which runs lengthwise of the hopper. On this shaft 5 is placed a number of agitators, F, which maybe made in any desired form. On one end of the shaft 5, used for the agitators F, is placed a small cog-wheel, marked g, which gears into a larger cog-wheel, j', placed permanently on the axle t, for which arrangement of cog-wheels and agitators see Figs. l and el.

In the bottom ofthe hopper E are made the desired number of openings for the seed to pass through, and over each of these openings is placed an agitator, F. On the under side of the bottom of the hopper E are placed gageplates G, furnished with an oval-shaped opening, marked 2, and over each of these plates Gr are placed plates, marked H, with an opening in them oi' the saine form as those made in the gage-plates, but much larger.

Between the plates Gr and H is a space, in which is placed the cut-off plate t', on one side of which are a number of notches, which correspond in number, torni, and size to the number of gage-plates used or placed on the bottom of the hopper E. The plate t is so arranged between the plates G and H that it can slide forward or back. On the ends of the plate 'i are lugs,to which are attached connecting-rods l, which are attached to the lever-har k, which is'hun g on the adjustable hangers or bearings j, furnished with a slot, o, and regulating-screw u. Thejournals or axis G of the lever-bar k and the pins 8, to which the connecting-rods l are attached, are arranged with relation to each other so that in turning the lever-bar 7c into the position indicated by the dotted lines marked 7 (see Figs. 2 and 4) the said turning ofthe lever-bar will canse the rods l to move the cut-oft plate i.

On the lower side or edge of the lever-bar 7c is a handle, w, which is used for turning the lever-bar into the desired position.

y represents my improved adjustable dragbar, which is secured to the cross-bar r of the drill-frame by means ot' staples or other device. To the back end of the drag-bar y is attached an ordinary drill-tooth, marked a,which is connected to the lever-bar It by means of a cord or chain, e.

.t represents the chute for conducting'the seed into the drill-tooth a. rIhis 'reversible chute is of ordinary construction, with the er ception that the upper or hopper part of the chute is furnished with a loop or hinge,marked 9, which is used for the purpose of connecting the chute to the beveled bar e, which is direetly under the hopper E. By thus hanging and arranging the chute .12 it can readily be reversed, so as to conduct the seed into the teeth, which may be placed forward of the cross-bar c, which thing is Very desirable and often done for the purpose ot' straggling"7 the teeth when working in stony ground, for by straggling the teeth the distance between them is made greater, and the machine is not so liahle to clon. The dotted lines represent the position of the teeth when straggled, and also represent the chutes reversed.

m represents a circular gage-plate, which may be used in combination with the cut-o'- plate fi, if so desired.

rIhe manner of coustructin g andthe form and size of the various parts herein described and represented I leave to the good judgment, skill, and taste of the mechanic.

the seed to drop down through It will be observed thatI onlyrepresent one drag-bar, drill-tooth, reversible chute, and agitator; but these may be increased to any number desired.

As the construction and arrangement of the parts herein described will be readily understood, I will at once proceed t-o describe the operation of my improvement. y

Having all things arranged as herein described, I place seed in the hopper E, and the revolving of the wheels b will revolve the axle t, which will revolve the cog-wheelf, which will revolve the small cog-wheel, g, which will revolve the shaft-agitators F, which will cause the opening 2 in the gage-plates G into the chutes and from them it will drop into the drill-teeth n, and from them into the ground. When I desire to sow or drill in a larger quantityotseed I turn the screws n so as to move the hangers or bearingsj back from the hopper E, which will move back the lever-bar 7c, connectingrods l, and cut-off' plate 1I, which will increase the size of the openings through which the seed passes,and when I desire to diminish the quantity in sowing or drilling in, I turn the screws a so as to move the-hangers or bearings j forward toward the hopper E, which will move the lever-bark, rods I, and cnt-ott' plate i, which will diminish the size of the openings through which the seed has to pass.

It will be observed that the size ofthe openings will in all cases depend on the position of the hangers, lever-bar, rods, and cut-oi plate t'. When I desire to cut oit' entirely the seed and make the machine inoperative, I turn the lever-bar into the position indicated by the dotted lilies 'i'. This will raise up the drillteeth and drag-bars, and at the same time cause the cut-oit' plate z' to cover the openings 2 in the gage-plates G. Vhen I desire to straggle the drill-teeth n/ that is to say, place onehalf of the'whole number used forward of the cross-bar c-I remove the bolts in the drag-bar y, and move the part marked R forward so as io bring the tooth into the position represented I then replace the bolts by the dotted lines x.

in the drag-bar g/ and secure the parts firmly together. I then reverse a num ber ot' the chutes a: to correspond to the number of teeth brought forward; and when I desire to sow broadcast I remove the chutes and also remove the drag-bars and drill-teeth n', or raise them up so that they will be inoperative.

The advantages of myimprovementin graindrills are as follows: Y

First. By the use of the agitators F, in combination with the gage-plates G, I force the seed down into the chute x without breaking it, for the a-gitators simply keep the seed in motion, and the motion of the seed forces it down through the openings into the chute Second. I can increase or diminish -the capacity ot' the machine, so as to sow any desired quantity of seed. This is accomplished by the arrangement and use ofthe adjustable hangers j, rods l, lever-bar 7c, and plates t' and G.

Third. I can sow broadcast by simply removing the chut-esa: and raising the drag-bars y and their teeth it.

Fourth. By means of the adjustable dragbars y and reversible chutes x, I can straggle the drill-teeth for the purpose of making a greater space between them, thereby enabling me to work my machine in stony ground without clogging the teeth.

Having thus described the nature, construction, and operation of my improvement, what I claim as my invention isl. The arrangement of the hopper E, agitator F, gage-plates G and H, cut-olil plate ,adjustable hangers j, lever-har 7c, and connecting-rods l, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set lorth.

2. The combination of the reversible chute :r with the adjustable drag-bar y and tooti n', as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES D. JONES.

Witnesses J AMES J. J oHNsToN, J oHN J oI-iNs'roN. 

